When you have finished winding, snip the end of the yarn.Ĭut about 8″ (20cm) of your bracelet rope. Wind the red or the white yarn around the card, making about 20 – 50 revolutions. To begin with however, 4″ x 4″ is a good, comfortable size to work from. To make a larger one, simply make sure the size of the card you cut is bigger than the size of the doll you’d like to create. It also means you can shorten it to anything less than 4″. This way you know the maximum length of the martenitsa doll will be slightly less than 4″. Tie it around the wrists of friends and love ones!Ĭut a piece of card to 4″ x 4″ (10 x 10cm).

You can now make a second knot on the other end to keep the twist and tension in place. When the entire length of the yarn is twisted you can release the bull dog clips. You can regulate the tension by moving the pencil either towards or away from the twist, this way you can control it and make sure it doesn’t become too tight or too loose. Keep the tension with the pencil as you twist the entire length of the yarn, making sure all is equally neat. Start twisting both threads by turning the pencil anti-clockwise. Pull to make sure the tension is kept and release the bull dog clips.

Place a pencil by the knot between the red and white threads. When both threads are properly twisted and attached back with the bull dog clips, take the untwisted, excess yarn at one end and tie the red and white yarns together.

Repeat this process with the other color of yarn. When it gets to this point, pull on it slightly to make sure it stays straight. Once the yarns are in place, un-clip one end (of either color) and start twisting clockwise until the thread wants to twist on its own. Make sure you also leave around 6″ (15cm) of excess yarn at either end. Then mount the other ends, again with bull dog clips. Once one end is secure, pull the other to make sure the strings are straight and have a tiny bit of tension. This is a good length as it can be used for a few bracelets or other martenitsa variations.Īttach both ends of each yarn to something (e.g a board or table) using the bulldog clips. – A Cutting Mat & X-acto Knife (optional)Ĭut about 20″ (50cm) of both red and white yarn. – Card (piece of cardboard or chipboard, even a cereal box will be just fine) about 0.04″ (1mm) thick I’ll let the The Saturday Market Project take it from here with these first two tutorials…Ĭreated in playful shapes and contrasting yarns which symbolize the circle of life, Martenitsa are both simple to make and a welcome reminder of what lies beyond the dark, wintry days. An altogether uplifting talisman to celebrate the oncoming spring. Not to mention their list of projects and stories, including this feature on my favorite, hidden supply store in San Francisco. I could spend all day looking through their supplies – cotton thread from France, a Japanese marbling kit, and these needles (swoon). I used the materials I had around the house, but would love to have picked up the gorgeous mule spun, Imperial Ranch Yarn from The Saturday Market Project shop. We’ve been learning quite a bit about this tradition from the Martenitsa Story and through these projects from The Saturday Market Project, and wanted to share it with you. Here is my version of the bracelet and puppet…

Along with the festivities, is the tradition of making Martenitsa adornments to give to friends and family, which you wear all month long to promote happiness and prosperity. The entire celebration is all about bidding adieu to winter and welcoming in the fresh blooms of spring. By wearing the red & white colours of Martenitsa, Bulgarians ask Baba Marta for mercy, to make winter pass quickly and for spring to arrive.In Bulgaria there is a centuries old tradition of celebrating Baba Marta aka ‘Grandmother March Day.’ It begins on March 1st and continues all month long. When she is smiling, the weather is sunny and warm, but if she gets angry the cold will stay for longer and it may even snow. In Bulgarian folklore, Baba Marta is a grumpy old woman who changes her mood very quickly and this reflects the changeable weather in March. On this day, Bulgarians exchange Martenitsi (twined red & white threads made of wool, silk or cotton) and tell each other, 'Chestita Baba Marta!' This custom is to wish good health, luck and happiness to family and friends. On March 1, Bulgarians celebrate a traditional holiday called Baba Marta which is related to welcoming in Spring. This afternoon Rosianna taught Ruby Class all about an ancient Bulgarian tradition - Martenitsa.

Baba marta